Roger Reece Kibbe

Roger Reece Kibbe, 81, a former furniture maker from the suburban Sacramento area, died at Mule Creek State Prison near Ione, California, on February 28, 2021. A correctional officer found him unresponsive on his cell floor shortly after midnight, and he was pronounced dead at the prison's health care facility. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Amador County Sheriff's Office have classified the death as a homicide, and an autopsy reportedly found he had been manually strangled. His cellmate was moved to administrative segregation while the investigation continues, and no charges had been filed at the time of reporting.

Cause of death, as reported: Killed by another person in custody. Prison officials call the death a homicide, the Amador County Sheriff's Office says an autopsy found he was manually strangled, and his cellmate wrote a letter confessing to killing him.

Reported by: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (the agency that held him); Amador County Sheriff's Office (outside investigators); Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe (outside investigators); Sacramento County Coroner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Jason Budrow, the cellmate (witnesses).

News reports (11)

• Death of 'I-5 Strangler' at Mule Creek State Prison investigated as homicide KCRA, March 1, 2021
• Serial killer known as 'I-5 Strangler' killed in prison KRCR, March 1, 2021
• Mule Creek State Prison Officials Investigating Inmate Death as a Homicide (corrected) - News Releases - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - CDCR (.gov), March 1, 2021
• Serial killer who was spared execution is killed in prison - San Diego Union-Tribune San Diego Union-Tribune, March 1, 2021
• California serial killer Roger Reece Kibbe, known as 'I-5 Strangler,' killed in prison ABC7 Los Angeles, March 1, 2021
• Death of ‘I-5 Strangler’ inside California prison being investigated as homicide fox23.com, March 2, 2021
• Autopsy shows California’s ‘I-5 Strangler’ was strangled himself in prison Los Angeles Times, March 3, 2021
• I-5 Serial Killer Strangled to Death in Prison Business Insider, March 3, 2021
• ‘I-5 Strangler’ Roger Kibbe choked to death in prison: autopsy New York Post, March 4, 2021
• Convicted Murderer Admits To Killing Notorious Serial Killer In Prison iHeart, April 1, 2021
• Man accused of strangling ‘I-5 Strangler’ won’t face death penalty Los Angeles Times, April 8, 2021